18 Feb - Sun comes up and goes back down....

This week may be a bit of a write off for lifting. My Schedule has been all over. My sleep has been rough and as you will read below seeing the Demon Hunter has created more work than peace. Despite it all my nutrition has stayed on point. My Rehab has improved.

Deadlifting on Saturday seemed to really tighten up and piss off my hip. The timing worked out well as I had an RMT appt booked for Monday.

RMT Notes:
This time he really dug in there as far as he could get to smooth things out and get the rest of the tissue moving. I definitely did not walk out of there feeling like i did last time. I felt ok for about an hour or two and then the work he did seemed to settle in. The day after everything feels sore yet better than last night.

Afterwards I went for a lunch with a friend of mine. We spent 2 hrs laughing at a lot of random shit. Most of which I cannot discuss here. Most of it was not PC. Some might perhaps consider borderline legal (not illegal, just testing the letter and intent of the law). Definitely all funny. Oh and he pretty much demanded I go see John Wick 2 this. Although i have been warned I may leave the movie theater, get home, and then spend the next two hours practicing clearing drills in my house.

15 Feb
Got up, stretched. Then later I did my normal Bench /Upper back day.

17 Feb

The schedule at this point was all over the place. After seeing the Demon hunter on Friday i was in no place mentally to lift. So i took the day.

18 Feb

Since Deadlifting is a direct irritant to my piriformis (i figured this out the week before) I decided to Box Squat instead. My head was into the game better so I was able to focus and work some of my frustrations out and get some focus. 

16 Feb

 Physio Notes:
He figured out who he has a patient. He was super impressed with my progress in such a short time. My reply "I am here to win, not to lose".
We spent the next 20 min with him smashing my pirifomis with his elbow. it made me think i really need a BOOMSTICK from Kabuki Strength.
I spent another 20 min or so with a heat pad on my hip to let things settle.

17 Feb

Demon Hunter:
As much I have made progress with my mental game the last 2 weeks have been rough. My living and work situation are rough to say the least. I found out I am going to have to live it another year. I really seemed to have an issue accepting it. My resiliency as a result has been nearly non-existent or at least that is how it feels. I am working on this this. I also learned an important lesson. Do Not go back work after an appointment. I do need time to process.

Yeah this log is all over the place. Thanks for reading.

I am facing some adversity right now. I will find my path through it or learn to embrace the chaos. 

08 Feb 2017 -Never understood what was wrong or what was right...

"As you grow spiritually, your approach to negative emotions naturally matures. First, you flounder in negativity, alternating between denial and shame. Then, you embark on a well-intentioned effort to transform negative emotions into positive ones, improving yourself so that you become a more successful and lovable person in the mirror of your self-worth.
Finally, you can't help but live true to what is, whatever is. You stop trying to buoy yourself with motivation and positive thinking. You open as the lack and the darkness you sometimes feel. You are willing to feel, breathe and be everything, dark and light. Opening in every now-moment, your life is no longer lived as a hope for success and love, but as an unfolding openness."
-David Deida, 'Blue Truth'


Got the above quote off Facebook a few weeks ago.

So De-Load week is completed. I got a few cardio sessions in, did a few short lifting sessions just to cause blood flow, figured out a rep max for Incline Press and got in to see the Shaman for some much need massage therapy.




SHAMAN (RMT):
-Scar restricting movement hindering extension which led to Glute shutting down.
-used the cups (felt like a crossfitter) to move things are and loosen up my piriformis, TFL, hip flexor, and quad.
-used the Stim machine to make the glute fire properly now that the stuff in the front was not fighting things.
-I walked in there with my hip feeling like i had molasses in the muscles and that I would be semi-crippled with my low back pain and weakness in my hip.
-I walked out feeling like i could run again and i could stand in proper posture without having to fight to be in. Zero low back pain and nearly non-existent hip discomfort.
-He also gave me activation and strengthening homework.
There is a reason I call him the Shaman. He proved it yet again. I did honestly not think i could that much better in under an hour. I was in a real bad state physically and mentally going into this appointment so it was a very much welcomed relief.

The New Schedule which looks very similar to the last 3 weeks:
Monday
Squat (5/3/1 w/ FSL 5x5)
Incline Bench 1x10x40%,50% /3x10x60%
Pull Ups (Bodyweight) 10x5 (increasing volume weekly)
Abs 5 sets
KB Swings 1x30x53
Stuff*

Tues
Conditioning -Step Mill- 2 x 20min CHI
KB Swings 1x30



Wednesday
Bench (5/3/1 w/ FSL 5x5)
Cable Rows 5x10-20reps
Triceps 5x10-20
Abs 5 sets
KB Swings 1x30x53
Stuff*



Thursday
Conditioning -Step Mill- 100 floors as fast as possible

Friday

DL (5/3/1 w/FSL 5x5)

OH Press (5/3/1 w/FSL 5x5)

Weighted Pull ups 5x5

Abs 5sets

KB Swings 1x30x53

Stuff*

Weekends and some evenings I will do 40-60min of "Cardio" simply to sweat and recover. It usually looks like this:

10-30min each of:
Elliptical -30secON/2min Off Intervals
Treadmill -I mess with the incline while trying to increase the pace
Bike-Intensity and Pace that is quick but does not induce Muscle Acidosis (formally known as Lactic Acid build up /burn)
KB Swings
I sweat from these session and never walk away tired. This is active recovery and simply an added calorie burn during the week.









*"Stuff" refers to exercises such as:
Band Pull Aparts, Facepulls, Bicep curls-various in nature, Tricep work-various in nature, push ups-varius in nature
All Stuff exercises are completed in 1x100 or a few sets as possible to get to 100reps.

Abs: consists of Stir the pot, Bosu Sit Ups, Side Plank (alternating on a 5count), and kneeling or standing static holds

Back Ext to start every session 2-3 sets 5-20 reps.
KB Swings

Nutrition:

Tightening it up. I just need to get through mids without hitting the shift canteen for snacks. In other words I need to eat more before shift and bring more food. Otherwise I only eat eggs, bacon, ground pork or ground beef, rice, spinach.

Still drinking the Tumeric "Tonic" i described last time. Calling it a "Tonic" makes me feel like it came from Victorian Era Great Britain.

PHYSIO Notes:
So I also got a new Physio this week. This guy has been doing the job for 16+yrs so he has seen and treated alot of things. So having the experience is nice. I expressed my situation and displeasure having 4 Physio's since Surgery realizing it is also situational. He is not going anywhere so i should be good for the next few months. It is getting to the point where i need hone in and focus fully. My medical category at work expires around the beginning of June. I need to be 100% by then. I know I will get there, I simply need him to keep me healthy enough to keep pushing as hard as I need to.

My career is riding on this recovery and we are nearing the time for the final prepatory training stage.

No Jits last week during my deload. First my back was too messed and then after seeing the Shaman i wanted to rest it a few days to make sure everything had time to settle. The week before was a successful return to the mats. 4 trg sessions within 5 days. I will continue that this week now that things are feeling better.


I will go through and cover the new exercises next time. Thanks for reading.

30 Jan 2017 - Do you know the name of the one you seek

Random Notes:

I am going to open up with 4 definitions that i use commonly everyday. I will not take credit for this, i got the idea from Elitefts a few yrs ago.

Training - This is regular, periodized, measurable Exercise. There is  a set goal or goals. Continued marker posts to measure progress. Consistency is also key.

Working out -Mindless exercising with no long term plan or goal. Consistency is lacking.

Cardio - Mindless cardiovascular exercise. Again no plan. There is benefit to the heart and lungs. No benefit to body composition or manipulation of hormone production withint the body.

Conditioning - Exercise typically that is used to stress the cardio pulmonary system. It is also used to temper and prepare the muscles and joints for higher stress activities. It also has marker posts and goals so progressed can be measured. Consistency is also key to the progress. It is not limited to just chronic movement like sprints or Airdyne bike, athletes will also use high intensity training to prepare for competition in small measured circumstances.

Training and ability since last time i wrote has progressed.

I went from Monolith to a simple 5/3/1 program.

Squats and Deadlifts I have kept low volume.

Squats seem to stress my low back and irritate my glute the most. There is progress every session.

A huge bright spot is that my Bench is more solid than ever. I am now able to tuck my feet under making me more stable and effecting better leg drive.

OH Pressing is also progressing every session out. My low back and core are no longer the weak spot which has me excited.

I am keeping Pull Up volume high on Mondays. Bodyweight only. Multiple sets and the reps are creeping up weekly. I am playing this a little week by week. I simply plan on exceeding the reps every second week.

Smashing my hip with the Lax Ball daily has been a big help. My hip flexor still feels quite "gummy". Hell some days it feels like a steel cable.

Since mid Dec i have been doing simple cardio. Nothing too strenuous, i am merely trying to increase my General Physical Preparation (GPP).  It started with simply 20-30 min walking on the treadmill. Increased to 45-50 min. Now it has progressed to 10-20 min elliptical, followed by 10-20 min treadmill, and finishing up with 10-20 min Stationary bike. I turn the heat on in the small Apt gym and wear full sweats. Short term there is some fat loss. Long term it prepares my body for more activity.

I have gotten in the pool a few times but nothing of any consistency.

-Back Extensions during every training session still seem to be helping.

-doing some light "Cardio" in the apt gym a few days a week, just treadmill walking and bike in full sweats with the heat on.

-came up with the following concoction for after the "Cardio sessions": Boil water in a mug mix honey, turmeric, cayenne, lemon juice and salt. Add boiling water, stir well and then dump into shaker bottle of ice. I make it and Refrigerate before the cardio. I have eliminate everything except coffee, water and my BCAA's (during trg) so this is a nice change of pace to drink.

- I started getting back on the mats last week. So Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is back into my life. I am only doing technique for now. I will give my body a few weeks to adjust to the new movement patterns and also allow me to figure out what i can and cannot do with my current ROM.

-Finished another 3 week cycle of 5/3/1. Overall I am feeling a little beat up so I am backing off for the week, de-loading. Also my low back re-adjusted while deadlifting so

-Spent an evening hitting the heavy bag to see what I can do in regards to my Muay Thai skills. My hands are decent. Kicking ROM is well below the waist. Elbows are solid. Knees are not a thing. Everything will come back to full potential in time. I will have to be patient though because the Hip does not quite have the endurance quite yet. I was really sore and beat up the day after.

-I finally got an appointment with a new physiotherapist next week.

-In the meantime I am going to see the Shaman my RMT this Wednesday. I am excited to see what he comes up with during his assessment.

23 Dec - Kneel to the Crown, Stand in the Sun

22 Dec

Physio Notes:
So I had my second and final appointment with my new Physio. We covered a lot of stuff. The Plantar Fasciitis is mostly gone so we shifted focus a little. I was an end of day appointment for him so instead of the usual 20 min we went longer. Gave him a chance to experiment with a few ideas and I got more answers.


-The heel pain and the pain through my glute may be linked.
- It seems I have been having nerve pain in my left glute. (that "catch" stretch relfex i keep talking about)
-this is related to my L4,L5,S1 being locked up tight
-He did some testing then traction and my Hamstring strength doubled (I went from fatiguing over 5-7sec to holding him off the table with ease.)
-After the Traction work my Glutes did improve but not a lot.

My Home work is:
-Continue with everything else I am doing, (McGill big 3, Bridging single and double leg, Planks, Side planks, cobra push ups, piriformis stretch and clamshells)
- Added in is Leg swings performed with a straight leg, moving through the hip and with the foot turned out. This is to floss the Nerves through my leg.
-L4 /L5 peanut work: lay on the peanut for 2min at a time a few times a day
-Wall Slides with a strap, again foot is turned out


The last two days I am have been pretty damn sore so I think I pushing into new territory, so I will count it as a good thing.


I pulled out the TEMs Unit today for nearly an hour on a few spots and I plan on utilizing it a lot more over the next few weeks.


I have an appointment to go back and see my RMT the "Shaman" early in the new year while I wait for work to sort out the Physio situation.


Understand I am extremely happy and excited for how far I have come physically since surgery. In no way am I content yet with where things are though. I know I am capable of a lot more physically once these few minor things are sorted out. 

Moving Forward:
I am not going to be making a bunch of resolutions. I already have a fairly stable yet fluid plan in place.
-The next major step is getting back on the mats figuring out ROM I do have and get back to at least practicing a little Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It will be a long time before I can train and roll like a regular person. I will get there. I have not been on the mats for any length of time or any consequence actually since I tore my ACL in 2012. So yeah it has been a long time.
-Muay Thai is going to be back in the mix as well. Starting with Heavy bag work probably next week when I am home. Again, taking it slow to figure out where my body is at and what it can handle.

Training:
-I am pushing the Conditioning back in a little hard for the next 12 weeks. I am working with a 3 days lifting /3 days Conditioning Schedule. I may do some 2 a days with the second session being lighter and more for recovery, getting a sweat on. So it seems that my hip, leg, and glute feel better doing the extra conditioning.
-Lifting I am sticking with a simple 5/3/1 Template: Mon Squat /OHP(light for Volume), Wed Bench, Fri DL /OHP(5/3/1 percentages)
-Pull Ups still have a priority
-Conditioning I was planning on doing exclusively Prowler work, waving the weight from session to session. That plan had to be adjusted, I ended up not having full time access to a Prowler at my work gym. So instead lots of Step Mill work, some swimming, some treadmill walking and the 20lbs Weight vest is back in the mix.


I will lay out in further detail in next week's Log.

Update 23 Dec:

For the last few days I started my trg sessions with 2 simple sets of 8 reps of Back Ext.
Yesterday i added in Rev Hyper's by holding onto the the GHR. These two things combined have stripped out the soreness and my low back is feeling slightly more mobile. I hope I am onto something. I always prefer one or two simple movements that strengthen and work ROM over a half dozen Physio /Rehab movements.


MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND THANKS FOR READING. 

14 Dec 2016 - 5/3/1 Monolith or at least my experience of it.

This sums up how it has felt for the last few weeks of training. Hard, fast, and intense. It feels awesome to be putting everything back together piece by piece. Starting this program 6 months post Hip re-surfacing was definitely ambitious

Disclaimer: Although this 5/3/1 Building the Monolith is the program I am referencing the changes I made make it no longer the program Wendler Wrote. Let's say inspired by.

I write this having only completed 5 of the 6 weeks knowing full well I will complete the final week in the next few days. So I feel good about writing /typing out my notes and perceptions of the Template /program.


I will say this is not really a "Rehab program" or a program for someone just returning to lifting after a long of hiatus as I have had. It did feel great to push some heavier weights 3 days a week, eat a ton of food and gain some confidence back in my body's ability to do things.


I only started Squatting, Benching, OH Pressing, and Deadlifting in Sept. When I started all of those lifts my low back still required time to stabilize and strengthen in all of these movements so I took light and progressed slow. This program showed up at a good time for me. The Volume and the heavier percentages felt very good.






My intention going in was to complete every day and every movement as prescribed (except of course for the adjustments I will note.)

I have 2 out of the 3 down, working on the lifting heavy part.

Training:
- I set up my TM based off where my Lower Body is capable of doing with solid form. As always I started Light with my TM. By no means did this make things easier as the soreness I felt the day after was always uneven. Having the TM kept me from doing anything stupid.




-Conditioning on the off days was not as prescribed. instead I did my rehab and took my dog for longer walks. This suited my Hip and Glute better as they needed the added recovery time between training days.


-Monday Squats were as prescribed. Friday Squats during Weeks 1-3 I used a box (only to touch), Weeks 4-6 I set the pins in the Squat cage so that I would touch just below parallel. Both of these methods gave me feed back to make sure I was squatting level. By level of soreness I had the day after I would say it did not make things any easier.




-Due to not lifting as heavy with the lower body I did push the AMRAP sets hard with OH Press


- I Benched before DLing due to wanting this to be the focused lift and my DL numbers were low so not a lot of warm up sets and using the Bench to warm up with felt more natural for me.






-Wendler takes the simplest things and they turn out to be awesome. All the extra stuff made me feel like a million bucks without over taxing things.
-Face pulls and Band Pullaparts were complete in 1 set of 100 reps.
- Shrugs I changed to DB Shrugs and "Ran the Rack" Starting at 75lbs, dropping in 10lbs increments until 100 reps were completed.
-Curls for 100 reps I changed from week to week but it was simply one or two exercises with a light weight completed for a total of 100 reps no rest.




-I used the Box Squats on Fridays because my lower back was usually still jacked and having the box keep me at parallel felt safer for my lower back at this time.




- I like the layout of this program a lot. Mon- Squat /OH Press /Pull Ups, Wed-DL, Bench, Db Row, Fri- Squat, OH press for volume, Heavy Pullups. I like it enough that going into my next 6 weeks of lifting I am doing something similar.




-I was sick at the start of Week 4 (sore throat and mild fever over the weekend), I did the required lifting for Squats and OH Press on the Monday but cut all the reps in half for everything else. This was enough to let my body not completely crash again.




-At the start of Week 4 I increased my TM for BENCH, DL, and OH Press. I left my Squat numbers the same. This may seem counter to the program, it is, for me it allowed my body to continue to smooth out my squat motion. I can tell that the tension and stretch reflex in my glute is much smoother than Day 1 Week 1. Which in really is what I am after long term, getting my squat movement to feel natural and smooth.




-Reps for the DL felt great and yet still very taxing. My lock out is still questionable at times, as the glute learns to fire it is getting much better.

Nutrition:
-You have to eat. I avg 8-10 eggs a day and 1 lbs of ground beef a day. For me with the lighter numbers it was enough. Something happens when you eat this much protein, I stopped craving junk food and was not hungry between feedings. Go figure. I am taking this info moving forward. My next training log will explain why in greater detail.


-This is an excellent program to use in Dec as excess Cal (if you eat the Protein first) is not a worry. You need to eat for this template to not crush you


-There were days where I felt bloated, fat and gross. I sucked it up and got on with things. Those also happened to be followed by rockstar like training days. Sacrifice for the end goal, get bigger and strong(er)

Recovery:
-Sleep. I work shifts so this is always something I pay attention to. Even more so since getting my CPAP last Feb. I like the fact my CPAP tells me how long I was "sleeping" (aka had the machine on). I made sure to take naps whenever possible and if I could get more than 8hrs I took it. Sometimes I only sleep 5-6hrs. a night because of the changing schedule and my body simply getting screwed up.


-As I stated earlier I did all my hip rehab as well as foam rolling, Lax balling and stretching on the days I was not lifting.


-See nutrition section because that is key for recovery on this program.


-McGill big 3 were also completed on off days and some days when I had extra time.


Increases over the 6 weeks:
-Week 1 day I completed 60 total pull ups. Week 6 I completed 87 pull ups. I did pull Ups through out the session without compromising recovery between sets




-Weighted Pull ups Week 1 was 5 x 5 x 5lbs, Week 6 5 x 5 x 12.5lbs.


-Squat and DL feel smoother.


-PR OH Press AMRAP 

Summary:


-You walk out of the gym after training feeling as though you just prepared to stand next to Thor ready to battle the Ice giants. It really does give you a boost of self confidence.

-I want to pull this program back out in 10-12 months when my body is strong(er) and I am further out from my body adjusting to surgery and the stuff that has come with it. I know in advance how gruelling it will be and I look forward to it.




-I hand wrote every day with all the numbers written in advance. This created a focus through a sense of perceived obligation (to myself) to complete this program. This helps when you  are sore and tired and have those moments of weakness. It helps lock in the discipline.



-Overall this program did for me exactly what I wanted it to going in. My lifts are strong(er) and feel smoother with no side issues of my lower back feeling weak. My confidence is increased and I will finish this program with a sense of achievement. Despite my adjustments this was still grueling to get through some days.


If you decide to do this. Buckle up and prepare to be smashed down but walk away feeling awesome.

23 Nov 2016 - Taking bigger bites..

OK making sometime for this. I have been putting this off.

I am not quite this stiff in Yoga class. OK well maybe my left side does in certain positions.

I finally got back to Yoga this week. I have been doing it daily on my own. Not quite the same as a guided practice. 

Physio Notes:
So at this point i still have not seen my physio. I will not get too far into it, she had surgery, had some minor complications, so she has transferred to a new PT with a full assessment coming next week. I do need an assessment because things have shifted in the past month leading to me having minor plantar faciitis (PF) in my left foot. I just want to figure things out before it gets out of hand. I had PF 8 yrs ago and I kept training through it until i could barely walk and then it took months to fix. So get it early, figure out what is causing it.

Training:
Training wise, to quote good old Jim Ross "Business has definitely picked up!"

I had been using a basic schedule of Upper Day, Lower Day, Conditioning Day, repeat. Doing Physio Exercises daily. I was Squatting, Benching, DLing and Pressing. Single leg and Barbell work with alot of bodyweight movements. Volume was high sessions were long. Overall despite making improvements it was not going to work long term and I was not feeling like it was measurable. I needed a program with a timeline and goal. My numbers Squatting, Benching, and DLing are still low. Really though, who cares? 6 months ago I could not lift at all. Fuck 3 months ago i could not lift. This time last year i could barely Bench, Squatting was done, and DLing felt dangerous even at light weights.

Then reading Jim Wendler's Blog he release this: Building the Monolith

What Jim designed this for was a simple, hard work, high volume, mass building program. Using the 5/3/1 percentages it would be grueling and yet still safe considering where I am at day to day.

To be honest I did not know going in how I would be able to hold up. A day, a week, the whole 6 weeks? Being near the end of week 3 already I am doing well.

 I chose this is because I knew I would have to put everything together. No slacking on sleep. No slacking on rehab and daily recovery activities. Lastly, I need to eat. Whenever Wendler suggests you need to eat in regards to one of his templates he fucking means it. Eating like a Starving Giraffe is a fast track to being crushed by weights or ending up sore and beat down. It has a set timeline I required, it would be measurable, and it is goal orientated.

When I have this finished this program in another 3 weeks I will write a full synopsis as to how it felt. My experiences moving through it. Any complications i had due the hip or in regards to working shift work. Finally where it leads me too next. (I have that planned out already)

The Core of all Wendler programs are simple Squats, DL, Bench, and OH Press. He Keeps things simple and streamlined.

I am crushing it so far. It is pushing me to my limit and keeping me focused. "Dialed in"

I still have some other things to put in my schedule. I have already rambled on enough. I will lay those plans out next week.

12 Nov 2016 - The difference a year makes....

I will start here....

A little over a year ago....


To say A lot has changed is an understatement. At the time of writing this EVERYTHING has changed. I still have a long way to go. I now feel like I am moving forward with intent and purpose again. The repair of my hip did not just bring that. It helped. The other major factor has been my time with the Demon Hunter. The past month we have found some rather large Demons in the deep dark forest of my mind. I still need to work past or above them, for now at least having found them when even I had forgotten they were there is the change in head space and timing I have needed.

Things don't feel so empty and hollow any more. I am looking forward and setting real goals and dreaming about doing other things (That i am writing down and plan on figuring out how to achieve them.

Surgeon's News and Notes

I will be requesting copies of my X-rays for posterity's sake in these logs.

I saw the surgeon about 2 weeks ago. It was nothing but fantastic news. Everything has healed as it should. No cracked bone, no signs of movement (shifting). The replacement is ROCK FUCKING SOLID.

So I started pumping out the questions that I needed answered. The short version.

At this point anything that would break my hip would break a normal hip. Which means I have gotten my life back. More so if you count the fact i KNOW i only have a limited timeline with this joint. So there is NO time to waste.

I am going to continue to work on the soft tissue stuff aka get the muscles and the movement patterns back to 100%. The glute has come light years since the day after surgery. My lower back is feeling solid. Movement is still stiff and quality of my stretch reflex leaves a little to be desired. The example i tell people:

If I bend over to tie my shoes I have to stand upright in between shoes or else my left glute hamstring locks up and it is incredibly painful when I stand up. 

I am making strides daily. My training has evolved to a full time training template as of this week. I am still doing rehab and lower back prehab it just does not have to be the sole focus anymore.

When I say Full Training Template I am actual mean this:

In the Last Month I am now able to Squat and DL!

The numbers are low and no where near my PR's or GYM PR's. When that happens everything I have done to get those PR's will feel so much sweeter.

Next log will start to cover my actual training. I figured after little over a month i needed to write something to get back into the swing of things.